Halcyon Project

Enter the Shitmongers

We entered a 10′×10′ chamber with a filth-covered downward slope; clearly the dumping ground of some creatures with less-sensitive noses than ours. This led us to give them the uncomplimentary (but somewhat accurate) nickname: shitmongers. Ahead of us stretched a 10’ wid corridor of Dwarven construction. Although we only discussed it briefly, we all seemed to draw the same conclusion: it is unlikely that a Dwarven-carved corridor resides beneath an Elven tower. My guess at which direction to travel in the “ocean” had clearly been mistaken. Nevertheless, ever forward.
About this time, three things happened in rapid succession: Our blue-skinned captive passed out and shot spines into most of the party. Ederon killed our captive and pitched him into the dump. A group of blue-skinned shitmongers attacked us. After discovering that they also shoot out their spines when they die, we retreated to the room we had arrived in to heal.
During second watch, the shitmongers sent an envoy with the message peace-peace-peace-mercy. We quickly learned that the shitmongers can only communicate via messages written in Dwarven Runes and all messages are of exactly 4 (or 16) runes.
We went to the shitmonger’s lair where we were greeted by their Shaman and sixteen others. We learn that we are in an ancient Dwarven Temple; that the shitmongers formerly had the Gate Stone (which we’ll need to return to the “ocean”; and that the stone was stolen by a “singing thief” which the shitmongers believe angered the Gate Gods. They also seem to believe that we are some sort of holy servants of the Gate Gods which, while useful, makes me somewhat uncomfortable.
The shitmongers led us to an artificial river with a Dwarven drawbridge. Halgar determined how to lower the bridge. Ederon used spells to follow Halgar instructions.
Once across the river, we find a series of hemi-spherical rooms inhabited by the Singing Telepaths (possibly an off-shoot of the Dark Dwarves). After a prolonged and desperate battle, we succeeded in slaying twenty-seven of them.

[OOC Notes: Group XP was 580 for NPCs, 1160 for PCs. Individual XP was given out.]